Playing zone defining pool table attachment



1966 A. N. LEHBERGER 3,287,017

PLAYING ZONE DEFINING POOL TABLE ATTACHMENT Filed May 6, 1964 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 /2 4/1 MJ M INVENTOR fimm cxx ARTHU R N. LEH BERGER 7? 5:54. 56 WW ATTURNE 5.

1965 A. N. LEHBERGER PLAYING ZONE DEFINING POOL TABLE ATTACHMENT Filed May 6. 1964 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR. ARTHUR N. LEHBERGER United States Patent 3,287,017 PLAYING ZONE DEFINING POOL TABLE ATTACHNIENT Arthur N. Lehberger, 256 Winfield Terrace, Union, NJ. Filed May 6, 1964, Sea. No. 365,338 9 Claims. c1. 273 14 This invention relates generally to pool tables and more particularly to an attachment for a pool table to make the conventional game of pool more interesting and exciting, and this invention is an improvement over the invention disclosed in my copending application Serial Number 306,101, filed September 3, 1963, now Patent No. 3,215,431.

An important object of the present invention is to mount an attachment on the playing surface of a conventional pool table in order to add variety to the convention-a1 game.

Another object of the invention is to provide an attachment on the playing surface of a conventional pool table for amplifying the conventional game of pool, which attachment is readily applied and detached and which will not injure the playing surface or cushion of the pool table.

For further comprehension of the invention, and of the objects and advantages thereof, reference will be had to the following description and accompanying drawings and to the appended claims in which the various novel features of the invention are more particularly set forth.

In the accompanying drawings forming a material part of this disclosure:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a pool table with an attachment made in accordance with the principles of the present invention applied thereto.

FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view taken onthe line 2-2 of FIG. 1.

FIG. 2A is a cross-sectional view of a fragment of a side cushion and attachment, on a enlarged scale.

FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the attachment shown spread apart as it appears when applied to a pool table, the covers for the angle irons being omitted.

FIG. 4 is an enlarged sectional view taken on the line 4-4 of FIG. 3.

FIG. 5 is a perspective view of one end of an angle iron.

FIG. 6 is a similar view showing the end of the angle iron hooked around the table top at a corner pocket.

FIG. 7 is a sectional view taken on the line 7-7 of FIG. 3, the cover being shown on the angle iron.

Referring more in detail to the drawings, in FIG. 1 a conventional pool table is shown and designated generally at 10. This table has a plain flat, smooth, rectangularly-shaped top surface 12 surrounded by side rails 14 and end rails 16. The top surface is covered by a cloth 18. The inner surfaces of the rails taper inwardly to receive rubber cushions 20 that are secured in place by adhesive or any other suit-able means. The covered top surface of the table constitutes the playing surface.

At each corner, the playing surface, rails and cushions are cut away as indicated at 24 and fabric bags 26 depend therefrom. Midway the ends of the side rails 14, the playing surface, rails and cushions are cut away as indicated at 30 and fabric bags 32 depend therefrom. The cut-away portions and bags constitute the side pockets of the table.

A set of playing balls 34 is shown in racked-up condition at one end of the playing surface, and a cue ball 36 is shown remote therefrom. In playing the game, the cue ball 36 is driven into the racked balls by a stick "ice called a cue (not shown), dispersing the playing balls 34 in all directions. The object of the conventional game is to drive the balls 34 into the pockets and the player driving the most balls into the pockets wins the game.

In accordance with the present invention, the game is made more interesting and exciting by adding an attachment in the form of an apparatus or harness 40 on the top of the table. This apparatus or harness is snuperimposed on the playing surface of the table at the end thereof. This harness includes three spaced elastic nylon cords 44, 46, 48, extending across the playing surface and secured at their ends to elongated angle irons or angular plates 50 and 52. The irons or plates are right angular in cross section, as best seen in FIG. 2A, defining an upright vertical portion 54 and a horizontal portion 56. Preferably the irons or plates have rubber covers '58 completely enveloping the same. Spaced aligned holes 60 and 62 are provided along the horizontal section 56 and covers 58, respectively. The cords 44, 46 and 48 are separate from each other with their ends extended through the holes 60 and 62 and are looped around the material of the angle irons and tied in knots 64. The angle irons or plates 50 and 52 are positioned on opposite sides of the table top with the horizontal sections 56 jammed underneath the rubber cushions 20 and with the vertical sections 54 truly upright and engaging the inner slanting surface of the rubber cushions 20, as best seen in FIG. 2A. The horizontal portions 56 are formed with rectangular plate-like extensions 57 projecting laterally and outwardly thereof and terminating in downwardly extending flanges 59 forming hooks adapted to be hooked over the long edges of the cloth 18 to fasten the harness in place. Soft fabric clamps may also be use-d for this purpose. The cords are of thin light stock and hug and engage the cover 18 of the playing surface 12 so as not to interfere with rolling movement of the playing balls 34 thereover.

An elastic tape 66 preferably of nylon is positioned flatwise against the top surface of the cover 18 of the table adjacent the rubber cushion 20 at one end rail 16. A nylon elastic cord 67 has one end fastened in any suitable manner to the transverse cord 44 midway its ends and has its other end fastened to the tape 66 midway the ends of the tape. The cord 67 is stretched across the transverse cords 46 and 48 midway the ends thereof. The tape 66 has its ends 68 looped and attached to each looped end 68 there is an elongated hook device comprising a rod 69 with a loop 70 formed on one endof the shank thereof inserted through the looped end of the tape. At its other end, the shank is bent slightly forming an offset portion 71 and is then bent at right angles to the plane of the shank providing an angular outer end 73 terminating in a foot 74 folded upon itself.

An elongated hook device is attached to one end of the angle irons 50 and 52 forming an extension thereof. The hook device comprises a rod 75 having its shank 76 folded upon itself and secured by welding or any other suitable manner to the horizontal section56 of the angle iron. The shank is bent slightly, outwardly of the end of the angle iron, forming an offset portion 77, and is then bent at right angles to the plane of the shank providing an angular outer end 78 terminating in a foot 80 folded upon itself. The offset portion 77, angular outer end 78 and foot 80 constitute a hook for hooking over the table top 12 and the table top cover 18 in a corner pocket 24, thereby fastening the end of the angle iron to the corner pocket.

Another hook assembly 84 is attached to the other end of the angle irons 50 and 52 forming an extension thereof. The hook assembly 84 consists of a looped or eyeletted pin 86 having a two-ply shank 88 and a looped head 90*. The shank 88 is welded to the horizontal section 56 of the angle iron or plate with the looped head 90 projecting beyond the end of the angle iron. An elastic nylontape 92 is looped at one end for receiving the looped head 90 of the pin. The other end of the tape 92 is looped to receive the looped end 94 of a hook device 96. The'hook device 96 consists of a rod 98 having its shank 100 bent slightly outwardly of the tape 92, forming an offset por tion 102, and then bent at right angles to the plane of the shank providing an angular outer end 104, terminating in a foot 106 folded upon itself. The offset portion 102, angular outer end 104 and foot 106 constitute a hook for hooking over the table top 12 and table top cover 18 in a side pocket 30 thereby fastening the end of the angle iron to the side pocket. The elastic tape 92 permits the hook assembly to be stretched to permit the harness to fit table tops with corner pockets and adjacent side pockets of varying distances.

Referring particularly to FIG. 1, the transverse cords 44, 46, 48 and the longitudinally disposed cord 68 constitute lines which with the adjacent cushion 20 of the adjacent end rail 16 divide the playing surface at one end of the pool table into transverse restricted playing areas or scoring zones, including an outer zone 110, an intermediate zone 112 and an inner zone 114, on each side of the center cord or line 68. The inner surfaces of the vertical sections 54 of the angle irons bear indicia 116 identifying the zones and the values accredited to a playing ball 34 knocked into the respective zones. For example, the indicia 116 appearing in outer zone 110 consists of the legend 2 point zone indicating that each ball knocked into zone 110 is worth two points. The legend in intermediate zone 112 reads, for example, point zone indicating that each playing ball 34 knocked into zone 112 is worth zero points. In zone 114, the legend reads 1 point zone indicating that each playing ball 34 knocked into zone 114 is worth 1 point.

The game is played by two players and the rules of the conventional game of pocket pool are followed substantially. However, additional rules may be promulgated to control the game. One player, designated, for example, A in FIG. 1 is assigned playing zones 110, 112,114 on the left-hand side of the center line 67, for example, and the other player designated, for example, B, is. assigned the playing zones 110, 112, 114 on the right-hand side of the line 67. The dimensions of the zones are suflicient to accommodate the fifteen playing balls 34.

The racked balls 34 are broken up by the cue ball 36 hit by a cue, not shown, by one of the players and the balls 34 during the play are knocked into the pockets 24 and 30, into the zones 110, 112, 114 or dispersed over the remaining playing surface of the table. The player continues until a ball 34 fails to go into one of the restricted areas 110, 112 or 114 on his side of the dividing line 67, when the opposing player or opponent takes over and shoots at the remaining playing balls 34 on the playing surface, in an attempt to knock the balls into the restricted zones. The opponent shoots until a playing ball 34 fails to go into one of the restricted zones. The game is over when all of the fifteen balls 34 are either in one of the pockets 24 or 30 or in the restricted zones 110, 112, 114 and the player having the highest number of points as indicated by the values on the indicia 116 of the balls 34 in the restricted zones wins the game.

. By thus prroviding a pool table with a plurality of restricted zones, a game may be played in which there is a large element of chance, and various games may be played upon the table or the game of pool may be varied to givevariety.

Other rules may be promulgated for controlling the playing of the game, such as, penalties for miscuing on the break, for knocking the cue ball into the pockets, for missing all of the racked balls, for knocking the cue ball into restricted point zones, for failure of the cue ball to return to playing zone, and the like.

While I have illustrated and described the preferred embodiment of my invention, it is to be understood that I do not limit myself to the precise construction herein disclosed and that various changes and modifications may be made within the scope of the invention as ,de-

fined in the appended claims.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by United States Letters Patent harness superimposed on the playing surface at one end thereof, said harness including opposed perforated angle irons clamped underneath the side rubber cushions of table, a stretchable tape clamped underneath the end rail at said one end of the playing surface, cords extending through theperforations of said angle irons and across the span' between said side angle irons in spaced longitudinal arrangement, said cords engaging the playing surface dividingthe playing surface into a plurality of retricted transverse playing zones, and a cord extending across said dividing lines to divide the transverse playing zones into a plurality of aligned transverse playing zones, one end of said cord fastened to the center of the tape, the other end of the cord being fastened to the in.- nermost cord, and indicia on the angle irons for indicating certainvalues for playing balls knocked into said zones.

2. In a pool table having a top playing surface rectangular in plan, side and end rails surrounding the playing surface, rubber cushions along the inner surfaces of the rails, pockets at the corners and at the sides, midway the ends thereof, the improvement which consists of a harness superimposed on the playing surface at one end thereof, said harness including opposed perforated angle irons clamped underneath the side rubber cushions of the table, a stretchable tape clamped underneath the end rail at said one end of the playing surface, cords extending through the perforations of said angle irons and across the span between said side angle irons in spaced longitudinal arrangement, said cords engaging the playing surface dividing the playing surface into a plurality of restricted transverse playing zones, and a cord extendmg across said dividing lines to divide the transverse playlng zones into a plurality of aligned transverse playing zones, one end of said cord fastened to the center of the tape, the other end of the cord being fastened to the innermost cord, indicia on the angle ir'onsfor indicating certain values for playing balls knocked into said zones, and rubber covers on the angle irons.

3.- In a pool table having a top playing surface rectangular in plan, side and end rails surrounding the playing surface, rubber cushions along the inner surfaces of the rails, pockets at the corners and at the sides, midway the ends thereof, the improvement which consists of a harness superimposed on the playing surface at one end thereof, said harness including opposed perforated angle 1I0I1S clamped underneath the side rubber cushions of the table, a stretchable tape clamped underneath the end: rail at said one end of the playing surface, cords extending through the perforations of said angle irons and across the span between said side angle irons in spaced longitudinal arrangement, said cords engaging the playing surface dividing the playing surface into a plurality of restricted transverse playing zones, and a cord extending across said dividing lines to divide the transverse playing zones into a plurality of aligned transverse playing zones, one end of said cord fastened to the center of the tape, the other end of the .cord being fastened to the innermost cord, indicia on the angle irons for indicat ing certain values for playing balls knocked into said zones, elongated hooks extending from one end of the angle irons for removably fastening one end of the harness to the corner pockets at one end of the table, and elongated hook assemblies extending from the other end of the angle irons for removably fastening said other end to the side pocket.

4. A pool table as defined in claim 3 characterized by means for fastening the harness to the side edges of the playing surface.

5. A pool table as defined in claim 3 characterized by integral hooked extensions projecting laterally and outwardly of the angle irons in spaced relation for clamping the harness in position against the side edges of the playing surface.

6. In a pool table having a top playing surface rectangular in plan, side and end rails surrounding the playing surface, rubber cushions along the inner surfaces of the rails, pockets at the corners and at the sides, midway the ends thereof, the improvement which consists of a harness superimposed on the playing surface at one end thereof, said harness including opposed perforated angle irons clamped underneath the side rubber cushions of the table, a stretchable tape clamped underneath the end rail at said one end of the playing surface, cords extending through the perforations of said angle irons and across the span between said side angle irons in spaced longitudinal arrangement, said cords engaging the playing surface dividing the playing surface into a plurality of restricted transverse playing zones, and a cord extending across said dividing lines to divide the transverse playing zones into a plurality of aligned transverse playing zones, one end of said cord fastened to the center of the tape, the other end of the cord being fastened to the innermost cord, indicia on the angle irons for indicating certain values for playing balls knocked into said zones, elongated hooks extending from one end of the angle irons for removably fastening one end of the harness to the corner pockets at one end of the table, elongated hook assemblies extending from the other end of the angle irons for removably fastening said other end to the side pockets, said elongated hooks including shank portions, said shank portions bent forming angular portions at right angles to the plane of the shank portions, and feet extending parallel to the shank portions.

7. In a pool table having a top playing surface rectangular in plan, side and end rails surrounding the playing surface, rubber cushions along the inner surfaces of the rails, pockets at the corners and at the sides, midway the ends thereof, the improvement which consists of a harness superimposed on the playing surface at one end thereof, said harness including opposed perforated angle irons clamped underneath the side rubber cushions of the table, a stretchable tape clamped underneath the end rail at said one end of the playing surface, cords extending through the perforations of said angle irons and across the span between said side angle irons in spaced longitudinal arrangement, said cords engaging the playing surface dividing the playing surface into a plurality of restricted transverse playing zones, and a cord extending across said dividing lines to divide the transverse playing zones into a plurality of aligned transverse playing zones, one end of said cord fastened to the center of the tape, the other end of the cord being fastened to the innermost cord, indicia on the angle irons for indicating certain values for playing balls knocked into said zones, elongated hooks extending from one end of the angle irons for removably fastening one end of the harness to the corner pockets at one end of the table, elongated hook assemblies extending from the other end of the angle irons for removably fastening said other end to the side pockets, said elongated hook assemblies including pins secured to the respective ends of the angle irons and forming extensions of the angle irons, looped heads on the outer ends of the pins, stretchable tapes secured at one end to the looped heads and elongated hooks flexibly connected to the outer end of the tapes, said latter elongated hooks consisting of shank portions, said shank portions bent forming offset portions, said shank portions further bent forming angular portions at right angles to the plane of the shank portions, and feet extending parallel to the shank portions.

8. In a pool table having a top playing surface rectangular in plan, side and end rails surrounding the playing surface, rubber cushions along the inner surfaces of the rails, pockets at the corners and at the sides, midway the ends thereof, the improvement which consists of a harness superimposed on the playing surface at one end thereof, said harness including opposed perforated angle irons clamped underneath the side rubber cushions of the table, a stretchable tape clamped underneath the end rail at said one end of the playing surface, cords extending through the perforations of said angle irons and across the span between said side angle irons in spaced longitudinal arrangement, said cords engaging the playing surface dividing the playing surface into a plurality of restricted transverse playing zones, and a cord extending across said dividing lines to divide the transverse playing zones into a plurality of aligned transverse playing zones, one end of said cord fastened to the center of the tape, the other end of the cord being fastened to the innermost cord, indicia on the angle irons for indicating certain values for playing balls knocked into said zones, elongated hooks extending from one end of the angle irons for removably fastening one end of the harness to the corner pockets at one end of the table, and elongated hook assemblies extending from the other end of the angle irons for removably fastening said other end to the side pockets, said elongated hooks including shank portions, said shank portions bent forming offset portions, said shank portions further bent forming angular portions at right angles to the plane of the shank portions, and feet extending parallel to the shank portions, said elongated hook assemblies including pins secured to the respective ends of the angle irons and forming extensions of the angle irons, looped heads on the outer ends of the pins, stretchable tapes secured at one end to the looped heads and elongated hooks flexibly connected to the outer end of the tapes, said latter elongated hooks consisting of shank portions, said shank portions bent forming offset portions, said shank portions further bent forming angular portions at right angles to the plane of the shank portions, and feet extending parallel to the shank portions.

9. In a pool table having a top playing surface rectangular in plan, side and end rails surrounding the playing surface, rubber cushions along the inner surfaces of the rails, pockets at the corners and at the sides, midway the ends thereof, the improvement which consists of a harness superimposed on the playing surface at one end thereof, said harness including opposed perforated angle irons clamped underneath the side rubber cushions of the table, a stretchable tape clamped underneath the end Iail at said one end of the playing surface, cords extending through the perforations of said angle irons and across the span between said side angle irons in spaced longitudinal arrangement, said cords engaging the playing surface dividing the playing surface into a plurality of restricted transverse playing zones, and a cord extending across said dividing lines to divide the transverse playing zones into a plurality of aligned transverse playing zones, one end of said cord fastened to the center of the tape, the other end of the cord being fastened to the innermost cord, indicia on the angle irons for indicating certain values for playing balls knocked into said zones,

' the stretchable tape at the end rail having looped ends,

and means for fastening the looped ends of the tape to the adjacent corner pockets, said means including hooks having elongated shank portions, loops on one end of the shank portions insertable in the looped ends of the tape, said shank portions bent forming offset portions, said shank portions further bent forming angular por- 7 tions at right angles to the plane of the shank portions, 1,308,405 and feet extending parallel to the shank portions. 1,579,730

2,366,782 References Cited by the Examiner 3,110,498

UNITED STATES PATENTS 5 519,842 5/1894 Fearn 273123 830,180 9/1906 Schultz 273123 1,002,024 8/1911 Beebee 2734 Engleman. Nelson 2737 Gorsuch 273118 X J Sheldon 2731 X s DELBERT'B. LOWE, Primary Examiner.

M. R. PAGE, Assistant Exdminer. 

1. IN A POOL TABLE HAVING A TOP PLAYING SURFACE RECTANGULAR IN PLAN, SIDE AND END RAILS SURROUNDING THE PLAYING SURFACE, RUBBER CUSHIONS ALONG THE INNER SURFACES OF THE RAILS, POCKETS AT THE CORNERS AND AT THE SIDES, MIDWAY THE ENDS THEREOF, THE IMPROVEMENT WHICH CONSISTS OF A HARNESS SUPERIMPOSED ON THE PLAYING SURFACE AT ONE END THEREOF, SAID HARNESS INCLUDING OPPOSED PERFORATED ANGLE IRONS CLAMPED UNDERNEATH THE SIDE RUBBER CUSHIONS OF TABLE, A STRETCHABLE TAPE CLAMPED UNDERNEATH THE END RAIL AT SAID ONE END OF THE PLAYING SURFACE, CORDS EXTENDING THROUGH THE PERFORATIONS OF SAID ANGLE IRONS AND ACROSS THE SPAN BETWEEN SAID SAID ANGLE IRONS IN SPACED LONGITUDINAL ARRANGEMENT, SAID CORDS ENGAGING THE PLAYING OF REFACE DIVIDING THE PLAYING SURFACE INTO A PLURALITY OF RESTRICTED TRANSVERSE PLAYING ZONES, AND A CORS EXTENDING ACROSS SAID DIVIDING LINES TO DIVIDE THE TRANSVERSE PLAYING ZONES INTO A PLURALITY OF ALIGNED TRANSVERSE PLAYING ZONES, ONE END OF SAID CORD FASTENED TO THE CENTER OF THE TAPE, THE OTHER END OF THE CORD BEING FASTENED TO THE INNERMOST CORD, AND INDICIA ON THE ANGLE IRONS FOR INDICATING CERTAIN VALUES FOR PLAYING BALLS KNOCKED INTO SAID ZONES. 